At least three journalists abducted in Yemen

New York, May 22, 2013--At least three
journalists have been held hostage by armed tribesmen for a week in Yemen,
according to news reports.

The journalists--Yassin Alzikri, editor-in-chief
for Economic Media magazine; Ibrahim al-Ashmori, president of the
reports division of Al-Thawra daily newspaper; and Ahmed al-Shamiri,
writer for the Saudi Okaz daily newspaper--were abducted in Marib province on May 15, according to news reports.

The journalists were headed to the eastern
province of Mahrah for an unspecified reporting mission. News accounts reported
that there were at least two other journalists with the group, but offered
conflicting details. Reports said that Mohammed al-Shamiri, a cameraman for Yemen Digital Media, and Noman
al-Asbahi, a writer for Al-Sahwa weekly newspaper, had also been
abducted and then released on Friday, while other sources said the two journalists fled and found refuge with a
local sheikh.

Several reports named the tribal leader
Yahia Saleh al-Masmi as responsible for the kidnapping. Al-Masmi told the English language newspaper Yemen Times that
he is seeking payment from the government amounting to 20 million riyals (almost
US$100,000) for every tribesman killed in previous clashes with the government.

The daily newspaper Yemen al-Youm
interviewed another individual, Mohammed Saleh Mosalamy, who claimed to be one
of the abductors and said the journalists would not be released until the government had met the group's demands. Mareb Presscited an anonymous source who said the kidnappers were
attempting to pressure the government to employ them to protect local oil
pipelines. Yemen al-Youm said Mosalamy said the group would attack the
pipelines if the government did not cooperate.

Mosalamy also told Yemen al-Youm
that his tribesmen's homes were destroyed during the aerial bombardment of
Habab Valley a few months ago. It wasn't immediately clear what events Mosalamy was referring to, but in
December, the Yemeni government launched an offensive against tribesmen
suspected of repeatedly sabotaging oil pipelines in the Habab Valley, according to Agence France-Presse.

It is not clear if the abductors belong to
the same tribe targeted in the December clashes that left at least 10 tribesmen
and seven soldiers dead.

"We are very concerned about the well-being
of Yassin Alzikri, Ibrahim al-Ashmori, and Mohammed al-Shamiri and we ask that
they be released immediately," said CPJ Middle East and North Africa
Coordinator Sherif Mansour.